


Keep Running

by famouslastwordsx



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Jealousy, M/M, Track and Field
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-07
Updated: 2013-04-16
Packaged: 2017-12-07 17:37:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/751198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/famouslastwordsx/pseuds/famouslastwordsx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Mikey decides to join the track team, Gerard has to go to his practices everyday after school. That's where he meets Frank, the team captain and best runner in the state of New Jersey, and suddenly going to Mikey's practices isn't so boring anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written to fill prompt #120 on www.everythingsfrerardnothinghurts.tumblr.com! Also, this isn't beta'd so please excuse any grammatical errors/typos.

Gerard looked at his phone at the end of the day to find a text from his little brother, Mikey. _Come to my locker after the bell,_ it read. Gerard groaned softly. Why did Mikey have to fuck around? Couldn’t he tell that the only thing Gerard wanted to do was go straight home and bask in his own misery in the basement? Apparently not.

            After the bell rang and class was finally over, Gerard packed up his things and made his way to Mikey’s locker in the freshman wing. He couldn’t just leave without him; his mom would probably take away his car and then they’d both have to walk. Mikey was standing there, thoroughly engaged in a lively conversation with his best friend Pete. Gerard pretended not to notice when Pete’s hand lingered on Mikey’s shoulder for a second too long.

“What’s up, Mikes?” he asked, indifferent to the fact that he was interrupting their chat.

“Pete and I are staying after school today so I need to you stay here and wait so you can give us a ride home,” Mikey explained quickly, like he knew what Gerard’s reaction would be.

“Mikey,” he groaned and threw his head back. “Fucking why?”

“We have track practice,” Pete supplied.

“Ugh, I forgot you were doing that,” Gerard sighed. “Doesn’t that take a while? Can’t I just go home and pick you up later?”

“No, Gerard,” Mikey said sternly as he pulled his gym bag out of his locker. “The first couple practices are only an hour. It would be stupid to go home and then come back. Besides, fresh air and sun is good for you once in a while.”

“Mikey, honestly…” Gerard started and then trailed off. He knew a losing argument when he heard one.

“Come on, it’s so nice out and it’ll be fun to watch. You can watch all of the totally-out-of-your-league athletic boys,” Pete teased.

Gerard shot him a dark look. “Isn’t track co-ed?”

“Yes,” Mikey answered, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. Gerard watched Pete’s face darken out of the corner of his eye, but when he looked over at him, Pete quickly smiled.

 

            Gerard took his time getting to the track. He doubled back to his locker, where he kept an extra sketch pad and a pack of pencils in case he ever needed them. He figured that gave the kids on the track team enough time to change into their running clothes and go down to the field; he didn’t want to get there before they did and just sit there in the bleachers, waiting for them to arrive. The track was just behind the school. It was actually very nice – just recently paved and partially shaded by trees so that the poor runners did have to die in the sun the entire time. That thought brought a question to the forefront of Gerard’s mind – who would ever choose to run miles and miles a day? More importantly, why would _Mikey_ choose to run miles and miles a day?

            When he finally got to the track, he was relieved to find that the team was already there, stretching in the grassy area in the middle. The coach was standing next to a short kid with dark hair who seemed to be leading the stretches – at least, that’s what Gerard assumed. He was too far away to hear their voices, but his assumption was confirmed when the kid blew his whistle and gestured for everyone to stand up straight. Gerard focused on him while he gave instructions to the rest of the kids on the team. When the kid looked back at the coach, Gerard got a pretty decent look at his face. He was gorgeous, and when he smiled Gerard wondered how he had never noticed him before.

            The team started running with the kid in the lead. Gerard watched as the more and more people fell behind as the number of laps increased, leaving just a small group of kids in the front. One of them was that dark haired boy, and the other two where Mikey and Pete. Gerard actually gasped out loud in surprise when he realized his brother was actually a good runner. Pete had played soccer all his life, but Mikey had never been an athlete with the exception of when he played baseball when he was seven. Gerard didn’t know how Mikey could possibly be athletic and related to him; maybe the athletic gene had skipped Gerard, along with the lucky, smart, and friendly ones.

            When the coach blew the whistle and all the kids gathered in the grassy center again, Gerard realized he had been so focused on watching short leader kid run that he hadn’t even used his emergency sketch pad. He tucked it away in his back pack, more than a little confused at his own actions. He wandered over to the gate in the fence that enclosed the field where he figured he could wait for Mikey and Pete and walk back to the school with them.

Mikey came back first, sweaty and exhausted. “Hey, Gee,” he said, still slightly out of breath.

“You’re fucking awesome Mikey, how the hell are you a good runner?” Gerard asked incredulously.

“I have no idea,” Mikey shrugged. “I only joined track because Alicia did, but it turns out that I don’t even suck.”

            Gerard remembered Pete’s expression earlier when Mikey had confirmed that track was co-ed, and it made sense now. Gerard found it amusing that Mikey was so oblivious.

            Pete came wandering over a second later, smiling and wiping his face with his already soaked t-shirt. He offered Mikey his water bottle and smiled sweetly at Mikey when he thanked him after taking a sip. Gerard rolled his eyes and started walking towards his car. “I’m going to go to the car while you guys go back to the locker room,” he stated. Mikey and Pete both nodded and assured him that they would only be a minute.

            It wasn’t even like Gerard minded any more. Watching them practice had been kind of intriguing – well, watching that boy had been intriguing. His mind had started wandering back to how his legs had looked when he took long strides and the way his skin kind of glistened with sweat in the sun. It should be gross, Gerard thought, but somehow it wasn’t. He thought about it while he pulled out of the school parking lot and Mikey and Pete analyzed the first practice.

            “Frank told me I’m a good runner,” Pete told Mikey, his voice pinched with excitement. “I can’t believe we kept up with him, Mikey, he’s like a legend! Did you know he ran a four minute mile last year? He’s first in the state!”

            Mikey snorted. “No one runs a four minute mile. If he _can_ run a four minute mile, he wasn’t trying his best today because we were doing five. But I did hear he was a really great runner and that he was one of the best in Jersey.”

            “Okay, well, it was more like 4:15,” Pete amended, “but that’s still incredible. Imagine if he lets us train with him? Then we can tell people we’re best friends with him and they’ll ask for our autographs.”

Mikey rolled his eyes. “So now you want to be a competitive runner? I thought you wanted to be in a _band_.”

“I can do both,” Pete said, receiving another one of Mikey’s eye rolls.

“Are you coming over?” Gerard asked, looking at Pete in the rearview mirror.

“Nah,” Pete said. “My mom’s making steak. Thanks, though.”

            Gerard nodded and turned towards Pete’s house. After he dropped him off, Mikey climbed into the front seat. “Who was that kid you and Pete were running with?” he asked after a moment of silence.

“That’s Frank, the one Pete was talking about,” Mikey told him.

"Oh. He’s first in the state and you kept up with him?”

            “Yeah, but he wasn’t running as hard as he could today. He says it’s the cigarettes and that the first practice always sucks. He’s team captain even though he’s only a sophomore,” Mikey explained.

Gerard nodded. That was only a year younger than him. “Impressive.”

“Totally,” Mikey agreed. Neither of them talked the rest of the way home.

 

After a while, Gerard found himself really looking forward to watching Mikey’s track practice. It was stupid of him to do so, but he couldn’t really help himself. He liked to watch Frank run. His eyes were trained on Frank as he showed the team how to stretch properly and then talk to them briefly using expressive hand motions. He held up a water bottle, probably telling them about the importance of hydration. The day really was hot, even though it was only April. The sun was beating down aggressively, making any area that wasn’t shaded sweltering. Gerard wondered if it was a new record for New Jersey – almost 90 degrees in mid-April.

Gerard had noticed over the past week or two that Frank really was a talented runner. Most of the time Mikey and Pete could keep up for a little while, but Frank usually ended up finishing about a minute before them. He always finished first and he always emerged sweaty and hot. Gerard wondered when he would actually have the guts to talk to Frank, or at least see him up close, instead of (creepily) watching him from afar.

As always, Gerard’s eyes followed Frank around the track, so he noticed when he started slowing down. He was down to a very light jog when he rounded the curve. By the time he was a few feet away from the bleachers, he was staggering. Suddenly, he veered off the track and collapsed onto the grass right in front of where Gerard was sitting. Gerard looked around with wide eyes, but no one else seemed to be in their proximity. He couldn’t just leave Frank lying there on the grass, so he stood up quickly and hoped down from the bleachers. He crouched down to where Frank was and shook him lightly.

“Frank? Are you okay?” He was breathing; that was reassuring.

He moaned softly and rolled over slowly. “What happened?” he mumbled, barely opening his mouth.

“I think you passed out,” Gerard told him. “Were you too hot?”

Frank’s eyes were fluttering again, so Gerard coaxed him up and led him over to the shade under a big birch tree. “I think I’m dehydrated,” Frank said finally.

Gerard jogged over to his back pack and searched for a water bottle. He pulled one out, thanking his lucky stars or guardian angel or whatever made him decide to buy a Coke at lunch today instead of drinking the water he had packed. He ran back over to Frank and pressed the bottle into his hands. Frank gulped it down thirstily until Gerard warned, “Don’t drink it too fast or you’ll throw up.”

“Thanks,” Frank said after a minute. “Do I know you?”

“No, I mean, I don’t know, like, maybe?” Gerard stumbled over his words and answered Frank’s question with a question of his own. “I’m, uh, Gerard. Way.”

“Mikeyway’s brother?”

Gerard nodded.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Frank smiled. Gerard noticed that Frank has his lip pierced and his stomach did a weird flip. “Mikey totally adores you, you know that? He’s a super rad kid and a great runner, too.”

Gerard smiled back. “Yeah, Mikey is pretty awesome.”

“Why don’t you do track? We’d probably be unbeatable if we had Mikeyway and his brother,” Frank said. Gerard tried to focus on what he was saying, but it was really hard when his eyes were that bright and his hair was that sweaty.

“I, uh, I’m not very athletic,” Gerard stammered. God, he was such a fucking moron.

“That’s too bad,” Frank said, still sort-of smiling. He stood up and brushed his shorts off. “I should probably get back. Thanks for the water though, I really appreciate it. See you around, Gerard.”

Gerard nodded and returned Frank’s smile. He watched as he turned and ran back toward the track, his heart beating too fast and his cheeks far too red, even though it was nearly 90 degrees.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete tells Mikey how he feels and Frank goes over Gerard's house.

“Frank told me you guys talked,” Mikey said the next morning while they both ate their cereal and drank coffee.

“Did he?” Gerard asked, trying his best to sound flippant and uninterested, but Mikey’s eyebrows shot up so that meant he replied a little too quickly.

“Yes,” Mikey answered. “You know, you don’t have to come to practice anymore. They’re from 2:30 to 4:30 now so you have plenty of time to just come back and get me.”

“No,” Gerard said. This time he definitely answered too fast. “I mean, no, that’s okay. I don’t want to waste gas, you know what I mean?”

Mikey looked at him skeptically because Gerard wasn’t exactly Mr. Earth Club or anything, but he eventually just shrugged and kept eating.

 

Gerard had a free period in the early afternoon so he decided to spend it in the library reading whatever comic books he could find. He ended up absentmindedly picking a random one off the shelf that he hadn’t read before. Or maybe he did, considering that the school’s comic collection was about one-sixteenth the size of Gerard’s own.

“Gerard! Hey!” a voice whisper shouted. Gerard was yanked out of his thoughts too quickly and when he looked up he briefly considered that he might still be inside his own imagination.

“Oh, Frank, hi,” he said a little breathlessly.

Frank was smiling widely. “What’re you reading?” he asked.

“Um…” Gerard didn’t know, so he just flipped the book shut and showed Frank the cover.

“Oh, sweet,” Frank said. “That’s a good one.” Not that Gerard would know. He had been actually thinking about Frank the whole time he had been reading, not that he’d ever admit that to anyone.

“Yeah, it’s pretty good,” Gerard lied. “I didn’t know you were into comics.”

“Totally. If I ever have a second of freedom, I’m either reading a comic or making some kind of noise with a guitar,” Frank giggled. Gerard thought he had the cutest laugh he had heard in his whole life – ever.

Gerard smiled back. “That’s actually really cool,” he said, and then paused. “Shouldn’t you be at lunch? I thought sophomores had it this period.”

“Yeah, I should be, but I have a history project and I have to do some research,” Frank answered.

“Right, sorry for keeping you then,” Gerard told him.

“Don’t apologize,” Frank smiled and sat down next to him. “You’re way more interesting than history.”

 

Gerard’s head was fuzzy for the remainder of the school day. He couldn’t tell if Frank had actually flirted with him or if he was just being friendly. He knew he was over-thinking when he considered that the entire conversation had been a result of a totally over-active imagination. Because he was so bewildered, he completely forgot to stop at his locker and waste time before going down to the track so that he wouldn’t be there before the actual team was. He noticed that he was too early after he settled himself in the bleachers and began to look for Frank, but the entire field was empty of anyone at all.

He didn’t have to wait long, though. After only a minute or two, he saw a figure approaching the bleachers. The person waved at him, and although Gerard had no idea who it was, he waved back. As the person got closer, he could see that it was Frank.

“Someone’s early today,” Frank teased.

“I could say the same about you,” Gerard countered. “You’re the only one here.”

“I’m always here first. I have to come down and set up the events before the rest of the team gets here. I get out of my last class five minutes early every day. Captain perks,” Frank explained.

“You’re lucky,” Gerard said. “Well, no, I don’t believe in luck. You’re talented.”

“It’s not so much of a talent as a dedication,” Frank said thoughtfully. “When I find something that I want, I’ll work as hard as I need to in order to get it.”

“And running is what you’re dedicated to? Winning races is what you want?” Gerard asked, because he was genuinely curious and couldn’t fathom loving something so awful.

“No,” Frank said after a moment, “it used to be, but not so much anymore.”

Before Gerard could question him further, Frank sighed. “I have to go set everything up before everyone gets here. You should come early more often,” he smiled before he jogged away.

Gerard thought this was getting so out of hand. All Frank had to do was one little thing and Gerard was sure he was flirting with him. It was probably impossible that Frank even slightly thought of him as anything other than Mikey’s brother. To the best of Gerard’s knowledge, Frank didn’t even like guys, never mind a guy like Gerard.

Frank smiled every time he ran by the bleachers. Gerard always smiled back, even though it only added to his confusion. Usually Frank was so focused on where he was running that he hardly had time to notice what or who was around him. Frank was falling behind, as he was running with some of his average teammates.

“Iero!” he heard the coach call with his hands cupped around his mouth. He was standing just feet from where Gerard was sitting. “Iero! Get over here!”

Frank sprinted over like he usually would and asked breathlessly, “Yes, Coach?”

“What’s the matter with you? You’re running like a girl.”

“I’m sorry, Coach. I have a lot on my mind,” Gerard heard Frank say. He strained to hear the rest of the conversation.

“What could possibly be on your mind? You’re, what, sixteen?” Gerard thought the track coach was a little mean and far too harsh.

“I’m just distracted,” Frank answered.

“What has you so distracted that you’re running like you were in fifth grade, Iero? You can run a mile in under 4:30 and you just finished in 7:15? What’s on your mind, Iero, some girl?” the coach spat.

Frank looked almost like he wanted to laugh, which Gerard thought was odd. “No, definitely not a girl, sir.”

“Actually, I don’t even give a fuck what it is. Just get your shit together and start focusing. You’re the youngest captain we’ve ever had; one more practice like this and I’ll give your spot to one of the seniors who probably deserve it a hell of a lot more than you, Iero.” Even though the coach was threatening his captainship, Frank hardly seemed threatened. He looked just as composed as he usually did. He just nodded and jogged away, quickly catching up with Mikey and Pete, who were on their last lap.

 

Gerard waited in his usual spot for Mikey and Pete. This time, when they walked over, they had Frank with them.

“It’s okay, he doesn’t scare me,” he heard Frank saying to Mikey as Pete nodded solemnly.

“Hi, Gee,” Mikey said when they approached him. “Frank’s coming over.”

Gerard tried his hardest to conceal his panic when he nodded. Frank smiled at him widely. When the four of them got in the car, Frank, Mikey, and Pete struck up a lively conversation that mostly consisted of critiquing the other members of the team. Occasionally Frank would ask Gerard’s opinion of someone since he was there every day, but as the only person Gerard ever really watched was Frank, he didn’t have much to contribute. He wasn’t interested in what they were saying until he heard Pete say, “Frank, what do you think about Alicia Simmons?”

“I’ve talked to her a few times, she’s really cool. She listens to awesome music. Not a bad runner, either. She’s pretty hot, too, if you’re into that,” Frank replied. Gerard tried not to think too much about the last part of Frank’s sentence or he might just get too frazzled and drive off the road.

“Really? You don’t think she’s kind of… I don’t know… slutty?” Pete asked.

“Alicia?” Gerard watched Frank’s brow furrow in the rearview mirror. “No, she hasn’t given me a reason to think that. A lot of the girls’ shorts are much shorter than hers.”

“I’m not talking about her _shorts_ ,” Pete said exasperatedly. “I’m talking about-,”

“Pete, stop.” Mikey, who was sitting in the passenger seat, wrenched around to face the back seat where Pete and Frank were.

“I’m not doing anything,” Pete shot back.

“Yes, you are,” Mikey insisted.

“I was just saying, Mikey.”

“You’re always just saying. Alicia’s not a slut. She’s really fucking nice and awesome and funny and pretty. So tell me why you hate her so fucking much that you say bad things about her all the time!” Mikey yelled. He was never this open about his feelings and Gerard could tell that he was fuming.

“I hate her because you like her!” Pete shouted back.

“That makes no fucking sense! Why would you hate the person that makes your best friend happy?” The two of them were actually screaming in each other’s faces at that point, leaving Gerard and Frank feeling uncomfortable, like they were intruding on the argument.

“I hate her because you like her and I like you!” Pete blurted, and then clamped a hand over his mouth. Everyone in the car fell silent and Gerard swerved slightly in shock.

“What?” said Mikey softly.

“Should I… um, should I, like, pull over?” Gerard asked but Mikey waved him off.

“I’m into you,” Pete said quietly. “I hate Alicia because I’m jealous of her. Are you fucking happy now, Mikey?” Gerard didn’t think he had ever heard Pete sound so small.

Mikey turned around slowly until he was facing towards the windshield again and didn’t reply. When Gerard glanced over at his brother, his face was a pale green and he looked like he might throw up. “Don’t puke in my car,” Gerard said so lowly only Mikey could hear.

No one talked for a few minutes until Pete asked quietly, “Gee?”

“Yes?”

“Can you drop me off at home? I don’t think I want to hang out anymore.”

Gerard nodded. “Of course I can.” Gerard really felt for the kid. Even though Pete could be annoying, he wasn’t a bad person and he didn’t deserve the way Mikey had just treated him.

When Gerard pulled up at Pete’s, he and Frank were the only ones to say goodbye. Mikey refused to acknowledge Pete at all. After they arrived at the Way’s house, Mikey fled upstairs without a word, leaving Gerard and Frank standing in the hall.

“I’m sorry, Frank. Do you want me to go get him, or do you just want to go up? It’s the first door on the right,” Gerard said.

“No, that’s okay,” Frank answered. “I don’t think he really wants to talk.”

“He’s being so rude. I feel horrible for Pete.”

“I do, too. But I feel for Mikey, too.”

“Why? He’s being a total prick,” Gerard scoffed.

“He didn’t handle it well,” Frank agreed, “but I think it sucks almost as much to find out that your best friend really likes you and didn’t even tell you. Aren’t best friends supposed to be open books?”

“Mikey and Pete have been best friends since kindergarten. Pete was obviously afraid that he would fuck everything up. Mikey should’ve known, anyway, it was painstakingly obvious,” Gerard mused.

“It was. I knew Pete was interested from the second I met he and Mikey. Actually, I thought Mikey was into him, too,” Frank told Gerard.

“I guess I’d never noticed that. I thought it was more of a one-sided thing.”

“It probably is, I don’t know Mikey as well as you do, although we have gotten close since this season started. I understand why Pete likes him so much.”

Gerard’s eyes widened. “…you do?”

“Well, yeah. I don’t know exactly what it is, though. There’s just something about you Way brothers,” Frank said slowly.

Gerard didn’t know how to reply to that, so he just said, “Do you want to watch a movie or something?”

Frank smiled and nodded. “Do you have any really horrible zombie ones?”

“Of course!” Gerard exclaimed as he led the way down to the basement. “I have the perfect one in mind. It’s so bad; you’re going to love it.”

Gerard popped the DVD in and he and Frank sat on the couch to watch it. Frank was the perfect person to watch a terrible apocalypse movie with; he laughed and gasped and “cool!”ed at all the right parts. Halfway through, he turned to Gerard abruptly and said, “Are you gay?”

Gerard floundered, completely taken off guard. “Um… yes?”

“I’m sorry for asking. I just wasn’t sure,” Frank said. “You are, right? You kind of answered in a question.”

“No, I mean, yes, I’m gay,” Gerard stammered. “Do you… does that freak you out?”

Frank didn’t answer; instead, he turned his head and kissed Gerard sweetly on the mouth.

When Gerard pulled away in surprise, Frank blushed a deep red. “Oh my God, I’m so fucking sorry. I shouldn’t assume that just since you like guys that means you like me, but I just really like you. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

He shot up, but Gerard grabbed his arm. “No, Frank, wait!”

Frank looked down at him, his eyes wide.

“You should definitely assume,” Gerard said, his voice shaking.

“Yeah?” Frank asked, a smile appearing on his face.

“Yes, please assume,” Gerard tried to say, but he was cut off by Frank’s mouth back on his.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter! I hope you enjoyed it (:  
> written for prompt #120 on www.everythingsfrerardnothinghurts.tumblr.com!

Frank was still a little sweaty from practice but he smelled like really nice cologne and just slightly like cigarettes. Gerard could feel his muscles contracting and relaxing as he moved against him. His heart was thudding heavily in his chest as he felt Frank’s fingers threading through his hair. “Thank God Mikey joined track,” Gerard mumbled against Frank’s lips.

“Shit, Mikey,” Frank sighed, wiping his mouth and pulling away. “I should probably go talk to him now that he’s cooled off a bit.”

Gerard was shocked at how sad he felt that Frank was leaving – for a little while, anyway. “I’ll come too,” he concurred and then added quickly, “if that’s okay.”

“Of course, he’s your brother,” Frank smiled. “Maybe we shouldn’t mention, um, _this_ yet.”

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best,” Gerard shuddered, thinking about the rath he would face when Mikey found out he had made out with his new best friend.

Frank giggled quietly and took Gerard’s hand. He didn’t let go until they were up on the second floor and standing at Mikey’s door. Frank had to knock twice before Mikey answered. When he did, his eyes were a little swollen and his nose was slightly red. “Aww, Mikey,” Frank cooed before enveloping him in a hug. “Why are you crying?”

“Because I’m a dick,” Mikey mumbled into Frank’s shoulder. He had to stoop to be able to fit his face in the crook of Frank’s neck since Frank was half a foot shorter.

“You’re not that much of a dick,” Gerard interrupted. “You were just shocked.”

“I know,” Mikey sighed. “I don’t know how I didn’t realize before. All I know is that I hurt him really badly. I just want my best friend back.”

Gerard couldn’t stand Mikey’s misery; he felt like bursting into tears with his brother even though he had never been happier ten minutes before. He and Frank exchanged a quick look. “Do you want me to drive you to Pete’s?”

“No!” Mikey said loudly and shook his head. “No, no, no.”

“Aren’t you going to apologize?” Gerard asked.

“I don’t know, I guess so. Just not tonight. I can’t tonight. I need to think.” Mikey sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands.

“Do you want us to leave you alone?” Frank asked after a minute. Mikey didn’t say anything; he merely nodded. Frank sighed, “Okay, I guess I’ll just have to hang out with Gerard…” and winked as soon as he closed Mikey’s door behind him.

“So, where were we?” Frank smiled and rested his arms around Gerard’s neck as Gerard wrapped his arms around his midsection.

 

“Gee!” someone hissed. Gerard looked up from his sketchpad in alarm. No one ever showed up in the art room at this time of day; it was kind of an unspoken rule that it belonged to Gerard for these forty-five minutes. Pete was standing in the doorway, looking like he hadn’t slept in days.

“What are you doing here?” Gerard asked in bewilderment.

“Uh, I wanted to talk to you… if that was, you know, okay,” Pete stammered.

“Come sit down,” he said and closed his sketchbook. He already had a pretty good idea what Pete wanted to discuss.

“So, um, it’s about Mikey.”

“I figured.”

“Is he upset with me?”

Gerard had to think fast because Pete was close to tears and he didn’t know how well he could handle a fifteen year old boy crying about his unrequited love with Gerard’s little brother. “No, no, definitely not. He’s just shocked, I think.”

“I’m not so sure,” Pete said, resting elbows on the table and putting his chin in his hands. “Today he wouldn’t even look at me. He obnoxiously flirted with Alicia because he knew I was there. I – I didn’t know Mikey would be so mean. I didn’t know Mikey _could_ be so mean.”

“Sometimes people deal with things differently than you’d expect them too. I don’t know how Mikey’s feeling; he won’t talk to me about it. Honestly, Pete, sometimes you have to wait it out. Mikey might not be the right person for you. I don’t think he’s really into guys, so it’s probably nothing personal, you know?” Gerard babbled. He was terrible at giving advice.

“Well, you wouldn’t know. You and your boyfriend are perfect together,” Pete grumbled.

“Me and my boyfriend?” Gerard squeaked.

“Yeah. You and Frank were totally made for each other.”

“Me and Frank?”

“Yes, you and Frank. You guys are together, right? You’re so obvious.”

“No! Well, not technically. I don’t even – how did you – don’t tell Mikey. Please,” Gerard spluttered.

“I’m going to fucking tell Mikey,” Pete snorted. “What don’t you get about my best friend hating me right now? You think I’d go and tell him that?”

“No, you’re right. Sorry.” Gerard looked up at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost time for his next class. “I’d better get going; I’ve got History on the third floor. I’m really sorry about how Mikey’s acting. Should I talk to him?”

“Nah,” Pete answered, looking miserably at one of the paint stains on the white table, “if he wants to fix things he’ll come around. I just wish I’d never said anything, you know?”

“I know. But you should be proud that you do. I respect you for it,” Gerard said seriously.

“Really? Thanks, Gerard. Good luck with Frankie.”

Gerard laughed to himself as he left the art room. “Thanks, Pete.”

 

“Mikey and Pete still aren’t talking,” Frank said while they watched a movie in Gerard’s basement on Friday night.

“I know. I still drive Pete home every day and it just keeps getting increasingly awkward.”

“I wish they would just figure it out. It sucks that two best friends aren’t even on speaking terms. I don’t know who I feel worse for,” Frank sighed.

“Mikey’s being a dick. He really pushes that whole Alicia thing when Pete’s around. _Alicia and I are going to see that new movie_ and _I gave Alicia one of my sweatshirts_ and _Alicia and I are partners in Biology_ ,” Gerard mimicked in a high-pitched voice that sounded nothing like his brother’s.

Frank smiled. “I don’t know, I think there’s something more to Mikey’s reaction than the fact that he’s just surprised.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see eventually, I think. I’m pretty sure Mikey’s in the process of figuring it out himself,” Frank explained vaguely.

“Frankie,” Gerard whined. “Why can’t you just tell me?”

“Because I don’t know if I’m right yet,” Frank laughed, jokingly whacking Gerard on the arm. “Hey, you know what tomorrow is?”

“Saturday?”

“Yes! Do you know what’s on Saturday?”

Gerard was starting to feel uncomfortable. “Should I?”

“Probably, yeah,” Frank laughed. “It’s the last meet of the season! It’s the biggest one; if we win, we’re division champions.”

“I knew that, I just forgot about it,” Gerard lied quickly.

“I hope so, it’s not like I’ve been talking about it for the past week or anything,” Frank rolled his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Gerard laughed. “Sometimes it’s hard to focus on what you’re saying when you talk because you’re way too cute.”

Frank giggled and rolled his eyes again but kissed Gerard anyway. “So you’ll be there, right?”

“Of course I will! How stupid would I be to give up an opportunity to watch you run?” Gerard exclaimed as he squeezed Frank tightly.

 

 

Track meets went from dull to excruciatingly enjoyable as soon as Frank stepped onto the field. Gerard loved watching his Frank do what he loved; he screamed and cheered when Frank came in first place during the two-mile, the 600, and the 800 meter running events. He only cheered half as loud for Mikey when he placed first in the 400 meter.

Gerard ran down to the middle of the field where all of the runners waited for their races when Frank jogged over after his third race. A dozen or more runners where crowded around him, and Gerard had to push his way through them to see Frank.

“Frank, what’s wrong?” he asked, and Frank looked up at the sound of his voice. He was hunched over with his hands on his knees and he just shook his head at Gerard. “Frankie? What is it?”

“Is he dehydrated?” a girl with a braid in her hair asked.

“No, he just drank two water bottles,” a boy with a lot of freckles answered. “I think that might be the problem.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Gerard asked the girl with the braid.

“He’s sick,” she answered with a frown. “He ran a lot today since Coach knows he’s our secret weapon and he really wants to win. I’ve ran with him for five years and I’ve never seen him get sick after a race.”

Gerard searched for Frank’s hand and grabbed it. “Come on Frankie, let’s go sit down,” he said softly as he lead him out of the crowd of concerned teammates. He brought him to a shaded part of the field where it was fairly quiet. “What happened?” he asked him.

Frank’s skin was pale and his hands were shaking. “We’re going to lose because I can’t get my shit together.”

“You did great in those three races! You won every single one! It’s not your fault that you got sick. You just overdid it.”

“I didn’t overdo it,” Frank snapped. “Three races isn’t ‘overdoing it’, at least not for me. I’m not burnt out; I’m distracted. I’ve been training less and doing nothing with you more. And it’s really fucking hard to quit when you keep smoking in front of me and giving me cigarettes.”

Gerard recoiled like he had been slapped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to distract you.”

Frank closed his eyes and Gerard stood up and started walking away. “Gerard, wait!”

He turned around, looking at Frank’s sweaty form in the grass. “What?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just frustrated with myself. Please come back. I need you,” he said, and his voice shook.

Gerard immediately sat back down next to him in the grass. “I meant what I said. It’s not your fault.”

“It’s not yours, either,” Frank said, meeting his eye.

“I’m going to go get you a Gatorade,” Gerard said after a while. Frank nodded and forced a smile in his direction.

Mikey was at the cooler getting a cup of Gatorade for himself. “Did you see that? I just finished first for the mile,” he told his brother proudly.

“Awesome job, Mikes,” Gerard said and high-fived him. “I didn’t see it, though. I was with Frank.”

“Frank? Where is he?”

“He’s over there, under that tree. He got sick after the 800.”

“Oh, shit,” Mikey said.

“Do you think the team is in jeopardy because of it? Frank would be so upset,” Gerard asked, panicking.

“I don’t know, Gee. What’s his next race?” Mikey asked, and Gerard could tell he was thinking.

“The 200, I think.”

Mikey considered for a moment and then he said, “Okay. I’m decent at sprinting. I’ll run it for him.”

“Won’t the Coach notice and get mad at you?”

“Who cares, it’s the last meet of the season. I’ll just switch jerseys with him and that way if he looks quickly, he’ll only see the last name,” Mikey said reasonably.

Gerard nodded desperately. The two of them made their way over to Frank who was still resting against the tree with his eyes closed.

Gerard nudged him and handed him his Gatorade. “Thanks,” he said gratefully.

“Frank, listen,” Mikey said. “I’m going to run the two hundred for you. Switch jerseys with me.”

Frank seemed a little surprised, but Mikey hadn’t given him much of a choice, so he peeled off his jersey and handed it to Mikey.

“Wish me luck!” Mikey said as he jogged off. “Feel better, Frankie.”

Frank looked at Gerard with wide eyes. “This should be interesting.” He stood up and stood next to Gerard so he would be able to have a good view of the track once the race started. “This is the last race. If he wins, so does the whole team.”

Gerard wrapped his arms around Frank’s shoulders. “You know I’m proud of you no matter what.”

“You know, I think I like this jersey better than my own,” Frank said.

“Why?” The only difference Gerard could find was how Mikey’s said WAY over the number 26 instead of how Frank’s had IERO over a 13.

“Because it’s got your last name on it,” Frank answered.

“But it’s Mikey’s,” Gerard said, puzzled.

“Just let me have my moment,” Frank giggled. Gerard kissed the top of his head.

“It’s starting,” whispered Gerard. They both watched in silence as the whistle blew and the runners took off. Mikey was third, and then he was second. He and the runner in first were switching positions so fast it was impossible to tell who was really going to win until Mikey had a sudden burst of speed and won by a half-second.

The runners on the Belleville High track team went wild. Gerard hugged Frank tightly, who was yelling, “We won! Mikey won!” over and over again. They ran toward the middle of the field where the rest of the team was celebrating.

They found Pete, who looked happier than they had seen him in days. “We did it!” he screamed. “We really won!”

Frank couldn’t stop smiling. When Mikey finally joined the celebration, Frank launched himself into his arms. “Mikeyway, you fucking won! You’re the best, the best, the best! I love you so much, you won Mikey!” he yelled, squeezing Mikey, who was already out of breath. The two of them walked over to Gerard and Pete together.

There was a moment of tension when Mikey and Pete looked at each other for the first time in days. The four boys were silent for a moment, and then Mikey exploded. “I’m in love with you, too.”

Pete stared at Mikey blankly. Frank stood on his tip-toes to whisper in Gerard’s ear: “I was right.”

“I’m sorry for acting the way I did. I just didn’t know how to react and then I realized I loved you too and I didn’t know how to deal with that,” Mikey explained.

“What about Alicia?” Pete asked, some bitterness still in his voice.

“Alicia’s a great girl, but she’s not you,” Mikey said. “I really want to be with you and I’m sorry it took me so long to figure that out. I understand if you don’t want to forgive me, I was a total di -...”

Mikey’s words were cut off when Pete grabbed his face and kissed him. Gerard looked at Frank, who was smiling smugly. “I knew it all along,” he said happily.

Gerard rolled his eyes and kissed him slowly. “I’m so proud of you,” he murmured against his lips.

“Iero! Way! Come here!” the Coach called. Frank and Mikey ran over and the Coach presented them with the championship trophy.

Gerard and Pete watched them hold it up with triumphant smiles on their faces, each of them wondering how they had ended up so lucky.


End file.
